BSY unlikely to expand Cabinet

“Initially, we had a plan to expand the Cabinet to fill the six vacant berths by inducting a few rebel MLAs. But, subsequent developments, including the Centre’s rejection of the Governor’s report, have forced us to rethink on the issue,” a senior BJP leader told Deccan Herald.

The CM, who met top party leaders, including L K Advani, Nitin Gadkari,  Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley here on Monday to thank them for their support in his ‘battle’ against Bhardwaj, raised the issue of Cabinet expansion. However, the leaders advised him to focus on developmental issues.

Sources said the leaders advised him to take “corrective steps” to boost the government’s image. They promised Yeddyurappa  that they would take a final call on Cabinet expansion if the situation arose.

The leaders, while persuading the 11 BJP MLAs to return to the partyfold after the Supreme Court quashed the Karnataka High Court judgment, are learnt to have promised that three of these legislators would be made ministers while four to five would be made heads of various boards and corporations.

With many aspirants vying for limited berths, the party does not want to invite fresh trouble by undertaking expansion. It is confident the rebel MLAs will not revolt against Yeddyurappa again as they have learnt enough lessons from their earlier misadventure, it is learnt.  On continuing the protest against Bhardwaj, the leadership also told the CM that the party would take up the issue at national level and would pass a resolution in its national executive to be held  next month.